Why is my cat suddenly attacking people and what do I do?

[dnellruhl]

My cat has always been extremely friendly and doglike. She is 6 years old now and has moved a few times and never had an issue. We moved into a new apartment a few months ago and all of a sudden she is attacking both me and my boyfriend out of nowhere. We hide, etc but she hunts us like pray. Some days she's cuddling us, the next she is in attack mode. Does anyone know what might be happening or how to stop this? I tried pheromones but they didn't help.

It is really scary and I have been hiding in my room for about an hour. This is the second time it has happened since I moved (but never before).

 

[dnellruhl]

If it helps, I adopted her when she was a kitten and she's lived with me (many different apartments) since.

 

[ArtNJ]

Um, on re-read I noticed you said months! This may therefore have nothing to do with the new apartment or redirected aggression (my original theory before I noticed you moved months ago). Cats can discover physical play -- pouncing and biting their humans -- at any point, and once they do, it becomes a game to them. Tell us more about when it happens and exactly how she acts. My original theory was probably wrong, but I'll include it below as an FYI

********************
There is a flaw in cat brains that leads to something called redirected aggression. (Supposedly, all animals can get it, but it is very common in cats.) When a cat gets stressed out or scared, it can lash out at animals or people that it is friendly with. A dish drops, a tail gets stepped on, an enemy animal is seen or smelled through the window . . . or in your case, they are in a new apartment, which is scary enough, and you are unpacking & making noise (which is worse). Likely you are also trying to comfort the cat, which is not possible. A stressed cat cannot usually be comforted by a human petting it, and putting yourself in proximity to a very stressed cat is a recipe for getting scratched.

This link will explain more:

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

I know you said you've moved many times, but cats get less adaptable as they age. And with cat ears and noses being what they are, there could be something specific that is scarier about this move than prior moves. So it doesn't remotely surprise me that you have having this issue. Common thing. Should get better in time.

 

[dnellruhl]

Um, on re-read I noticed you said months! This may therefore have nothing to do with the new apartment or redirected aggression (my original theory before I noticed you moved months ago). Cats can discover physical play -- pouncing and biting their humans -- at any point, and once they do, it becomes a game to them. Tell us more about when it happens and exactly how she acts. My original theory was probably wrong, but I'll include it below as an FYI

********************
There is a flaw in cat brains that leads to something called redirected aggression. (Supposedly, all animals can get it, but it is very common in cats.) When a cat gets stressed out or scared, it can lash out at animals or people that it is friendly with. A dish drops, a tail gets stepped on, an enemy animal is seen or smelled through the window . . . or in your case, they are in a new apartment, which is scary enough, and you are unpacking & making noise (which is worse). Likely you are also trying to comfort the cat, which is not possible. A stressed cat cannot usually be comforted by a human petting it, and putting yourself in proximity to a very stressed cat is a recipe for getting scratched.

This link will explain more:

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

I know you said you've moved many times, but cats get less adaptable as they age. And with cat ears and noses being what they are, there could be something specific that is scarier about this move than prior moves. So it doesn't remotely surprise me that you have having this issue. Common thing. Should get better in time.

 

[dnellruhl]

Um, on re-read I noticed you said months! This may therefore have nothing to do with the new apartment or redirected aggression (my original theory before I noticed you moved months ago). Cats can discover physical play -- pouncing and biting their humans -- at any point, and once they do, it becomes a game to them. Tell us more about when it happens and exactly how she acts. My original theory was probably wrong, but I'll include it below as an FYI

********************
There is a flaw in cat brains that leads to something called redirected aggression. (Supposedly, all animals can get it, but it is very common in cats.) When a cat gets stressed out or scared, it can lash out at animals or people that it is friendly with. A dish drops, a tail gets stepped on, an enemy animal is seen or smelled through the window . . . or in your case, they are in a new apartment, which is scary enough, and you are unpacking & making noise (which is worse). Likely you are also trying to comfort the cat, which is not possible. A stressed cat cannot usually be comforted by a human petting it, and putting yourself in proximity to a very stressed cat is a recipe for getting scratched.

This link will explain more:

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

I know you said you've moved many times, but cats get less adaptable as they age. And with cat ears and noses being what they are, there could be something specific that is scarier about this move than prior moves. So it doesn't remotely surprise me that you have having this issue. Common thing. Should get better in time.

Thank you so much for the help, ArtNJ!! Yes I have lived in my apartment for two months now and this first happened two weeks ago. I used to move every year and she never had an issue.

Two weeks ago she had a full day of full on attacking me and my bf. We hid in my room most of the day because the second we would leave she would run up to us and scratch us (she has all our claws). The next few days she hid and seemed more defensive then offensive, we just walked slowly around her and held up blankets in case she jumped. The first time he had jumped over her (didn't touch her) but it must have scared her so she attacked him then she ran up to me and attacked me and drew blood on both of us. I bought cat pheromones and kept my distance and she went back to normal. She sept with us every night, cuddled with us, and never left our side. Today (two weeks after first occurance) my bf was going to the bathroom and walked past her and she attacked him pretty bad (after sleeping on his lap all night).

We tried not to panic but she kept running after us so we slid into my bedroom and have been in here ever since. I just tried leaving (wearing snow pants and a coat to protect myself lol) and she came up and attacked me again (I made him stay in my room). It has been about two hours now and she hasn't been able to calm down.

I am hoping to better understand the reasoning behind this (I thought maybe she could be sick or have eaten something but she was completely back to normal after the first incident so the vet said to wait it out). Maybe she smells his cats sometimes more than others? Maybe the people before had cats?

I am unsure if there are other methods I could try outside of the pheromone plug in to calm her down (she isn't a big treat eater, and doesn't eat as much when she's scared), so im not sure if treats or putting anything in her food would work.

 

[ArtNJ]

I just don't buy that its related to the apartment if it was fine for 6 weeks. It doesn't sound like play aggression either. It could be redirected aggression from some source we aren't identifying, that happens, but its lasting a while for redirected aggression. I'm starting to worry about a medical cause. I think you should schedule a vet visit.

 

[dnellruhl]

I just don't buy that its related to the apartment if it was fine for 6 weeks. It doesn't sound like play aggression either. It could be redirected aggression from some source we aren't identifying, that happens, but its lasting a while for redirected aggression. I'm starting to worry about a medical cause. I think you should schedule a vet visit.

That is what I was afraid of! the only reason I didn’t think it was medical is that after a few days she was completely back to normal. Her bowel movements are fine and she’s still eating. Better safe than sorry though I just have no idea what else it could be.

my boyfriend has two cats at home so maybe she smells them sometimes more than others on his clothes? It almost is always when he’s walking fast by her but she loves him 95% of the time and is rly sweet to him. Hope she’s not sick or anything rly appreciate the help

 

[ArtNJ]

I'm a little confused as to whether the BF is living with you or living somewhere else with his cats and just visiting. But either way, didn't he spend time with you smelling of the cats before this new place? As far as the prior owner having cats, I haven't heard of that causing redirected aggression. Most of the smell should be gone, unless the prior owner didn't properly clean up accidents. If the prior owner had cats that pee'd everywhere and it wasn't properly cleaned, that can be a problem as the smell cues other cats that those spots are acceptable bathrooms. I had that in a prior home -- was awful! So that is a thing, but I've not heard of a prior owner's cats causing redirected aggression. Maybe if it was a pre-furnished apartment or something.

I wouldn't dwell on the possible medical things it could be, as some would not be a big deal. Arthritis, for example, can cause intermittent pain and make a cat irritable. Six years is probably too young for that, but you never know. Anyway, just saying it could easily be something solvable. If it is medical at all.

Is she hissing or growling when she is in attack mode? She is spayed right?

 

[dnellruhl]

I'm a little confused as to whether the BF is living with you or living somewhere else with his cats and just visiting. But either way, didn't he spend time with you smelling of the cats before this new place? As far as the prior owner having cats, I haven't heard of that causing redirected aggression. Most of the smell should be gone, unless the prior owner didn't properly clean up accidents. If the prior owner had cats that pee'd everywhere and it wasn't properly cleaned, that can be a problem as the smell cues other cats that those spots are acceptable bathrooms. I had that in a prior home -- was awful! So that is a thing, but I've not heard of a prior owner's cats causing redirected aggression. Maybe if it was a pre-furnished apartment or something.

I wouldn't dwell on the possible medical things it could be, as some would not be a big deal. Arthritis, for example, can cause intermittent pain and make a cat irritable. Six years is probably too young for that, but you never know. Anyway, just saying it could easily be something solvable. If it is medical at all.

Is she hissing or growling when she is in attack mode? She is spayed right?

he recently moved back with his parents (who have two cats and two dogs) because of covid but is with me often. Before he was living in an apartment with no animals.

but they’re house is kept really clean so probably not that, just trying to think of anything!

hissing and growling, yes! And then will come up to us and cuddle us again and rub against us and all of a sudden start hissing and growling again.

yes she is spayed!

 

[dnellruhl]

he recently moved back with his parents (who have two cats and two dogs) because of covid but is with me often. Before he was living in an apartment with no animals.

but they’re house is kept really clean so probably not that, just trying to think of anything!

hissing and growling, yes! And then will come up to us and cuddle us again and rub against us and all of a sudden start hissing and growling again.

yes she is spayed!

My only thing with thinking it has to do with him is because it’s only so far happened twice and both times he was here

 

[ArtNJ]

Well, I would schedule the vet visit. It couldn't hurt, however, for him to come over in freshly laundered clothing if the timing seems suspicious to you. Some cats could pick up on scents of other animals brought over via clothes. And a clean house wouldn't prevent that -- the smell would be on his hands and his clothes. Easy enough to rule that out, so may as well do it.

Other than what we have discussed, not sure. BF jumping over her could absolutely cause an episode. But I wouldn't think that one thing would be the source of repeated problems.